We should know where our tax dollars are going, but I don't really see the problem with anonomizing the data - at least for the bottom 95% of earners. There are also aspects of government spending which would be way more interesting to me (and way more likely to be evidence of corruption) than how much my neighbor the train mechanic makes.
I might point out that some employment contracts specifically say you can't discuss salary with fellow employees. (I know I read it somewhere I applied or worked, probably at my current job too.)
I can see the attraction. Actually, I think it is a good idea. We should do it in the UK too ... although people are traditionally a bit weird about money here, so I can't see it happening.
The thing that bothers me is that it only has information for people working in government related jobs. For example, you can also get the name, salary, and title of all state workers. I find that kind of wrong.
Coming from Canada, I find it amazing that 30% of the top 25 salaries are related to athletics. Really goes to show how important sports are in the US.
It has more to do with the amount top athletic programs bring into big athletic schools. If the school is making millions on tickets and TV rights on their top-rated football team, they're willing to pay a lot for a coach that helps them keep winning.